Car-brake



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2 Sheets--Sheet 1.

Patented Mar. 24, 14385.

I. H. UONGDONQ GAR BRAKE (No Model.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

I. H. GONGDON.

GAR BRAKE. No. 314,225. Patented Mar. 24-, 1885.

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UNiTED STATES BATENT QFFICE.

ISAAC H. CONGDON, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

CAR-BRAKE.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 314,225, dated March 24, 1885.

V Application filed Febrmry 9, 1835. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ISAAC H. CONGDON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Im provements in Brakes for Trucks of Railway- Gars, of which the following is a specification, reference being had thereinto the acoom pan ying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a plan of a car provided with brakelevers according to my invention; Fig.2, a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3, an end view of the same. Fig. 4 shows the equalizing rods, levers, &c., all connected as in Fig. 1, but detached from the car. Fig. 5 shows the equal izing-levers in plan and side view and upon a larger scale.

This invention has relation to handbrakes for railway freight-cars, orit may be for streetcars and like conveyances; and the object of the invention is to so divide the power applied at the brake-wheel at one end of the car as to bring equal pressure on both trucks of said cars. The levers or equalizer by which this is accomplished are simple and inexpensive, and so arranged that the brake-levers now on cars can still be used. Another object attained by the equalizer is that by small variations of construction power applied to brakes of trucks can be increased or diminished without changing other parts of the brake-rig.

The equalizer is composed of the levers A and B, held together about the middle of their length by a rivet or bolt, 0, upon which they are crossed and can rock one above the other, like the blades of a pair of scissors.

To attach the equalizer to a car,a bolt is passed through one end of the lever A at a, (or thumb end of scissors,) and said bolt is secured to the tie-plank D or to the sills F, as most convenient, according to the constru otion of the car, &c., and becomes a pivot for the equalizer to hang and swing upon. Having attached the equalizer to the bottom of the car, the brake-rods are connected therewith.

To the lever B at 12 (corresponding with the finger end of scissors) is hooked the rod h, which has its opposite end connected to the brake-staff S. To the end or point of the lever Aand a, the rod 73 is secured, while to I the end or point 12 of thelever B the rod j is fastened. These rods are connected with the brake-levers K and L,respectively. (See Figs. 1, 2, and 4.) Chains N N with ring at lower end are suspended from the bottom of the carbody and carry the connecting-rods and prevent undue sag of the same.

In applying the brakes, as the brake-staff is turned from left to right, and the chain to is wound around the same, the rod h is drawn, as indicated by the arrow, Fig. 4, and causes the lever B to move on the rivet C as a center, pulling the rod j and setting the brakes on one pair of trucks, while at the same time the lever A moves on the center a and sets the brakes on the other truck; or the lever Amay move around the center a and draw upon the rod *5 withoutaffecting the rod j,- or thelever B or the center 0 may draw upon the rod j without affecting the rod z. Now, if by reason of unequal thickness of brake-shoes, untrue length of brake-rods, &c., the brakes on one truck are brought in contact withthe wheels sooner than the brakes on the other trucks, the inequality would be taken up by the lever A drawing upon the rod 6, or the lever B drawing upon the rod j, as the case may be, till all the brakes come in contact with the wheels.

If wished,the leverage can be increased or diminished by altering the relative lengths of the ends of the levers of equalizer, as in any system of lovers.

Formerly brakes were applied to the wheels of but one truck of railroad-cars, which, with the small cars used and light loads then carried, was found sufficient; but within a few years size, and consequently weight, of freightcar bodies has been greatly increased, while the carrying tonnage has nearly or quite doubled,and is ever increasing. This,tog'ether with high rate of speed at which many freighttrains are now run, makes the use of brakes upon all wheels of the car almost indispensable for safety.

Many cars have been fitted with double brakes, but with connections such that a pull is applied rigidly from one truck to the other and without equalization. WVhen thus connected, if the brake-shoes differ in thickness, if one brakebeam is hung higher or lower than another, so that shoes have more or less travel before striking the circumference of wheels, or if any of the connecting rods or levers are slightlylongor short, or from warping of brake-beams, &c., the brake-shoes of one truck are brought in contact with wheels before those of the other, the braking-power is entirely expended on such wheels and will continue to be till the brake-shoes are worn enough to make up for untrue length of rods, &c., by which time it is generally necessary to renew them, and renewal results in a repetition of former conditions. Now,wl1ile this wear is going on pressure intended for both trucks is being applied to but one, causing the wheels to slide and rendering them useless. By the use of my improved equalizer these difliculties are entirely obviated.

Having nowdeseribed myinvention and its practical application, I claim 1. The combination of the levers A and B,

pivoted one above the other, (like the blades of a pair of scissors,) one of said levers having one end pivoted to the car and the other end I connected to the brake-lever at one end of the car, and the other lever having one end connected to the brake-staff and the opposite end secured to a brake-lever adjacent to said brake staff, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The combination of the frame of a car, the crossed levers A B,pivoted together about the middle of their length, the rod '5 and brakelever K at one end, the rodj and brake-lever L at the other, with the rod h, connected to the cross-levers at one end and to the brakestaff at the other, whereby tension from a brake-staff upon one rod is evenly divided and equalized upon two trucks of a car, sub stantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ISAAC H. CONGDON.

Witnesses:

Isaac E. CONGDON, WM. J. KNOX. 

